Sørlandsbanen

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Sørlandsbanen
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Kongsberg Station in Kongsberg
Info
Type Railway
Start station Hokksund
End station Stavanger
No. of stations 27
Operation
Opened 1871 (to Kongsberg)
1944 (completed)
Owner Jernbaneverket
Operator(s) Norges Statsbaner
CargoNet
Character Long-haul passenger/freigt
Rolling stock BM73, El 18
Technical
Line length 528
No. of tracks 1
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Electrified 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC

Sørlandsbanen is a railway line between Drammen (though this is connected to Oslo by means of Drammensbanen) via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is 545 km long between Oslo and Stavanger.

History

The railway ws constructed in many phases, the first bit being opened in 1871 and the last bit not opened until 1944. While there was a continual construction effort from Oslo westward until Moi, Jærbanen from Egersund to Stavanger in Western Norway was opened in 1878. Until 1913 name occuring in plans and in built sections was Vestlandsbanen (The West Country Line).

Sørlandsbanen was completed by the German occupation force during World War 2. It was opened for regular traffic on May 1 1944. The line was an important communications line for transportation of troops, as well as war material. Long stretches of the Sørlandsbanen railway are away from the coast, instead of the more densely populated coastline. One reason for this was to protect the line from invading forces, and also to prevent the line being bombarded by navy ships.

Subsections

Among the stretches which Sørlandsbanen can be divided into are:

Branch lines

Sørlandsbanen has one operational branch line, Arendalsbanen, which runs between Nelaug and Arendal. Another branch line, Flekkefjordbanen, from Sira to Flekkefjord, was once part of the main line. Upon completion of Sørlandsbanen in 1944, it was turned into a branch line, and it was closed in 1990. Other branch lines which are closed are Numedalsbanen between Kongsberg and Rødberg (in Nore og Uvdal), Setesdalsbanen, and Kragerøbanen between Neslandsvatn and Kragerø.

Kristiansand station is designed as a terminal station. Therefore, trains from Stavanger towards Oslo reverse direction when leaving Kristiansand.

External links

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Sørlandsbanen
Railway lines in Norway
Operational Arendalsbanen | Askerbanen | Bergensbanen | Bratsbergbanen | Dovrebanen | Drammenbanen | Gardermobanen | Gjøvikbanen | Hovedbanen | Indre Østfoldbanen | Kongsvingerbanen | Meråkerbanen | Nordlandsbanen | Ofotbanen | Randsfjordbanen | Raumabanen | Jevnakerbanen | Rørosbanen | Solørbanen | Sørlandsbanen | Vestfoldbanen | Østfoldbanen
Branch Alnabru-Loengalinjen | Alnabanen | Brevikbanen | Dalane-Suldallinjen | Flåmsbana | Hortenlinjen | Skøyen-Filipstadlinjen | Spikkestadlinjen | Stavnebanen
Urban Ekebergbanen | Fellestunnelen | Fløibanen | Furusetbanen | Grorudbanen | Gråkallbanen | Holmenkollbanen | Kjelsåsbanen | Kolsåsbanen | Lambertseterbanen | Lilleakerbanen | Røabanen | Sognsvannsbanen | T-baneringen | Østensjøbanen
Heritage Krøderbanen | Setesdalsbanen | Urskog-Hølandsbanen | Thamshavnbanen | Rjukanbanen | Valdresbanen | Nesttun-Osbanen | Gamle Vossebanen
Abandoned Flekkefjordbanen | Grimstadbanen | Hardangerbanen | Havnebanen | Holmestrand-Vittingfossbanen | Ladelinjen | Lierbanen | Lillesand-laksvandbanen | Kirkenes-Bjørnevatnbanen | Namsoslinjen | Numedalsbanen | Setesdalsbanen | Singsakerlinjen | Sperillbanen | Sulitjelmabanen | Tinnosbanen | Treungenbanen | Tønsberg-Eidsfossbanen | Ålgårdbanen

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